Container and inner packing element therefor for elongate fragile articles



3,331,232 PACKING ELEMENT THEREFOR FRAGILE ARTICLES March 28, 1967 J HOWELL CONTAINER AND INNER FOR ELONGATE Flled June 5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q A. Sr.

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March 28, 1967 J. R. HOWELL 3,331,232

CONTAINER AND INNER PACKING ELEMENT THEREFOR FOR ELONGATE FRAGILE ARTICLES Filed June 5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4 JQHN RHQwELIN sclamm-h ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3 311,232 CONTAINER AND IllNER PACKING ELEMENT THEREFOR FUR ELGNGATE FRA GHLE ARTI- CLES John R. Howell, Vineland, N..I., assignor to ()wens-lfillnois, Inc., a corporation of @hio Filed June 3, 1966, Ser. No. 562,035 Claims. (Cl. 206-) This case is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 395,227, filed on Sept. 9, 1964.

This invention relates to a container for the storage and shipment of elongate fragile articles such as glass tubes, rods and the like, and to an inner packing element therefor. More particular, the invention relates to an inner packing element of novel and advantageous construction to securely maintain fragile elongate elements in position in a container.

In the prior art it has been known to utilize inner packing elements in containers for the storage and shipment of glass tubes and the like in order to safeguard against breakage. However, the particular inner packing elements that have been utilized have not been sufficiently durable and in particular have been subject to collapsing due to vibration.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved inner packing elements for containers for the storage and shipment of fragile elongate articles in general, and glass tubes and rods in particular. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved container for the storage and shipment of fragile elongate articles.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a parallelepiped carton which may be of conventional construction and a pair of inner packing elements disposed within said carton and forming aligned rows of notches in said carton for receiving and securely holding vertical stacks of said fragile articles. For a further understanding of the invention, attention is directed to the following portion of the specification, the drawing, and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG/1 is a perspective view of a container, shown partially broken away for the sake of convenience, constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the inner packing elements of the container of FIG. 1 may be formed.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank from which an inner packing element of alternative construction may be formed.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inner packing element formed from the blank of FIG. 3.

As is shown in FIG. 1, a container constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises a shipping carton 11 having a pair of inner acking elements 12 and 13 disposed therein. Elements 12 and 13 are shown as being identical in construction and each is formed from a die-cut blank B of relatively stiff sheetlike material, such as corrugated paperboard, as shown in FIG. 2. Blank B comprises first and second panels 14 and 15 folda'bly connected to one another along juxtaposed edges which are disposed along score line 16. In the assembled container the blank B from which each of elements 12 and 13 is formed, is bent along score line 16 so that panels 14 and 15 extend at an angle to one another from a locus spaced above the bottom of carton 11 toward the bottom thereof.

Each of panels 14 and 15 of elements 12 and 13 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart cuts 17 extending from score line 16 and generally normal thereto, toward the opposite edge of the respective panel. Each of panels 14 and 15 is further provided with fold lines 18 disposed on opposite sides of each of cuts 17 and forming with cut 17, and additional transverse cuts 19 at the tenmini of cuts 17, a plurality of notches 21 for receiving articles to be packaged and a pair of flanges 22 extending from their respective panel member from opposite sides of each notch 21 at an angle that faces inwardly of the angle defined by panels 14 and 15.

Each of elements 12 and 13 is further provided with means for maintaining panels 14 and 15 in angular relationship with respect to one another. In the illustrated embodiment, the aforesaid means comprises a third panel 23 foldably attached to an opposite edge of one of said panels 14 and 15, shown as panel 14, and a fourth panel 24 foldably attached to an opposite edge of the other of panels 14 and 15. In the assembled container, panels 23 and 24 are folded into overlying relationship to form a tubular body with panels 14 and 15 that is triangular in transverse section. The side edges of one of panels 23 and 24, shown as panel 23, is provided with notches and the side edges of the other panels 23 and 24 is provided with tabs 26 which are foldable into locking engagement with notches 25 when panels 23 and 24 are in the desired position with respect to one another.

In a container in accordance with the present invention, inner packing elements 12 and 13 are disposed within carton 11 in such a manner that the notches 21 in the panels 14 and 15 of each inner packing element are aligned with one another in rows. The fragile articles to be packaged, shown as comprising long narrow glass tubes T, are arranged in vertical stacks extending along each aligned row of notches 21. Sideways motion of the individual glass tubes T is restrained by making the spacing between fold lines 18 only slightly greater than the width of the tubes T and by the inherent springing action of flanges 22 because of their natural tendency to return to a position coplanar with the remaining portions of the respective panels 14 and 15. Flanges 22 further serve to stiffen panels 14 and 15 in a direction normal to each panel to prevent each of elements 12 and 13 from collapsing under vibration while in transit with glass tubing in place.

Contact between individual tubes T in a vertical stack is prevented by utilizing pads 27 disposed at axially spaced loci and extending between individual tubes across several or all of the stacks thereof. Axial motion of tubes T is restrained by providing each of elements 12 and 13 with a fifth panel 28 which is foldably attached to fourth panel 24 and which extends vertically upwardly therefrom. When such a feature is employed, fourth panel 24 must be of sufiicient extent to extend beyond the juncture of panel 14 and panel 23 and elements 12 and 13 must be arranged so that panel 28 is disposed at the extremity of container 11.

It is to be noted that carton 11 is shown as an opentopped or five-sided carton only for the purpose of illustrating the details of inner packing elements 12 and 13. In practice, carton 11 will normally comprise a sixsided carton of conventional construction.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 there is provided an inner packing element 113 which is formed from a blank B1 of corrugated paperboard and which may be used in place of elements 12 and/or 13 of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the article-receiving notches 121 in angularly disposed panels 114 and 115 are formed by cuts 117 inpanels 114 and 115 and one fold line 118 spaced apart from the cut. Thus each of notches 121 has but a single deep flange 122 extending downwardly from one side thereof rather than a pair of shallow flanges 22 as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. This construction has been found to strengthen the 3 notched panels relative to the construction of FIGS. 1 and 2, particularly where the spacing between adjacent notches is small in relationship to the width of a slot.

Relative to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, it is also to be noted that the relative location of each cut 117 to its adjacent fold line 118 is reversed from panel 114 to 1-15. Thus, there is still provided a flange on each side of an elongate article which may be received in a slot of an inner packing element constructed in this manner.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, various modifications and alternatives can be made to the embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An inner packing element for containers for elongate fragile articles comprising, in combination: first and second panels of relatively stiff sheet-like material foldably connected to one another along juxtaposed edges and disposed at an angle to one another; a plurality of spaced apart cuts extending generally normal to said edges from juxtaposed points along said edges through said first and second panels toward the opposite edges thereof; fold lines on opposite sides of each of said cuts and parallel thereto and forming with said cuts aligned slots in said first and second panels and further forming flanges in each of said panels that are folded along said fold lines to a position at an angle with respect to the respective panel and extending from that side of the respective panel that faces inwardly of the angle defined by the panels; means for maintaining the angular relationship between the first and second panels comprising a third panel foldably attached to an opposite edge of one of said first and second panels and extending therefrom to the opposite edge of the other of the first and second panels, and a fourth panel foldably attached to the opposite edge of the other of said first and second panels and extending therefrom toward the opposite edge of the one of the first and second panels, said third and fourth panels being disposed parallel to one another and forming a triangularly shaped tubular body with said first and second panels, said fourth panel extending past the opposite edge of the other of said first and second panels; and a fifth panel foldably connected to the edge of the fourth panel along juxtaposed edges and folded along said edges to a position parallel to a plane bisecting the angle between the first and second panels and extending from that side of the fourth panel that faces the juxtaposed edges of the first and second panels.

2. An inner packing element in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising notches disposed in the side edges of one of said third and fourth panels; and tabs formed from side edges of the other of said third and fourth panels and foldable into locking engagement with said notches.

3. An inner packing element in accordance with claim 2 wherein said flaps are foldable toward the juxtaposed edges of the first and second panels.

4. An innerpack-ing element in accordance with claim 1 wherein said material comprises corrugated paperboard.

5. An inner packing element in accordance with claim 1 wherein the spacing between said fold lines is slightly greater than the width of the fragile articles.

6. A container for elongate fragile articles comprising, in combination: wall means forming a parallelepiped carton; first and second inner packing elements disposed within said carton, each of said elements comprising first and second panels foldably connected along juxtaposed edges spaced above the bottom of the carton and extending from said edges at an angle with respect to one another toward the bottom of said container, a plurality of spaced apart cuts in each of said first and second panels extending generally normally to said juxtaposed edges from spaced apart points therealong through said first and second panels toward the opposite edges thereof, fold lines on opposite sides of each of said cuts and parallel thereto and forming with said cuts a plurality of spaced apart slots in each of said panels and a pair of flanges on opposite edges of said cuts, each of said flanges being folded along said fold line to a position at an angle with respect to the respective panel and extending from that side of the respective panel that faces toward the bottom of the container; means for maintaining the angular relationship between the first and second panels of each of said elements comprising a third panel foldably attached to an opposite edge of one of said first and second panels and extending therefrom to the opposite edge of the other of the first and second panels, a fourth panel foldably attached to the opposite edge of the other of said first and second panels and extending therefrom toward the opposite edge of the one of said first and second panels, said third and fourth panels being disposed parallel and closely adjacent to one another and forming a triangularly shaped tubular body with said first and second panels, said fourth panel extending past the opposite edge of the other of said first and second panels and terminating adjacent a wall of said carton; a fifth panel foldably connected to the edge of the fourth panel along juxtaposed edges and folded along said edges to a position parallel to a plane bisecting the angle between the first and second panels, extending from that side of the fourth panel that faces the juxtaposed edges of the first and second panels and lying closely adjacent to said wall of said carton.

7. A container in accordance with claim 6 and further comprising: padding means disposed within said carton intermediate the individual articles in each vertical stack.

8. A container in accordance with claim 6 and further comprising a plurality of vertical stacks of elongate fragile articles extending transversely of said first and second inner packing elements, each of said stacks of articles being snugly retained at spaced-apart locations by slots in the first and second inner packing elements.

9. An inner packing element for containers for elongate fragile articles comprising, in combination: first and second panels of relatively stiff sheet-like material foldably connected to one another and disposed at an angle to one another; a plurality of aligned slots in said first and second panels extending generally normal to said edges from juxtaposed locations along said edges, each of said slots being'formed by a cut and at least one fold line spaced from said out and extending parallel thereto, said cuts and fold lines further forming flanges in each of said panels that are folded along said fold lines to a posit-ion at an angle with respect to the respective panel and extending from that side of the respective panel that faces inwardly of the angle defined by the panels; means for maintaining the angular relationship between the first and second panels comprising a third panel foldably attached to an opposite edge of one of said first and second panels and extending therefrom to the opposite edge of the other of the first and second panels, and a fourth panel foldably attached to the opposite edge of the other of said first and second panels and extending therefrom toward the opposite edge of the one of the first and Second panels, said third and fourth panels being disposed parallel to one another and forming a triangularly shaped tubular body with said first and second panels, said fourth panel extending past the opposite edge of the other of said first and second panels; and a fifth panel foldably connected to the edge of the fourth panel along juxtaposed edges and folded along said edges to a position parallel to a plane bisecting the angle between the first and second panels and extending from that side of the fourth panel that faces the juxtaposed edges of the first and second panels.

10. An inner packing element in accordance with claim 9 wherein each of said slots is formed by a cut and by one fold line and wherein the cut that forms a slot in the first panel is aligned with the fold line that forms the aligned slot in the second panel.

(References on following page) References Ciiefi by the Examiner UNITED 5 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,171,598 10/1958 France.

STATES PATENTS 1,222,733 1/1960 France. Hanaday et a1 2'36 65 701,212 12/1953 Great Britain. Shepard 206-65 Foster 2Q6. ']5 5 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. Lane 2Q6-62 WILLIAM T. DIXSON, 111., Assistant Examiner'; 

6. A CONTAINER FOR ELONGATE FRAGILE ARTICLES COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: WALL MEANS FORMING A PARALLELEPIPED CARTON; FIRST AND SECOND INNER PACKING ELEMENTS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CARTON, EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND PANELS FOLDABLY CONNECTED ALONG JUXTAPOSED EDGES SPACED ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE CARTON AND EXTENDING FROM SAID EDGES AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER, A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART CUTS IN EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANELS EXTENDING GENERALLY NORMALLY TO SAID JUXTAPOSED EDGES FROM SPACED APART POINTS THEREALONG THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANELS TOWARD THE OPPOSITE EDGES THEREOF, FOLD LINES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF EACH OF SAID CUTS AND PARALLEL THERETO AND FORMING WITH SAID CUTS A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART SLOTS IN EACH OF SAID PANELS AND A PAIR OF FLANGES ON OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID CUTS, EACH OF SAID FLANGES BEING FOLDED ALONG SAID FOLD LINE TO A POSITION AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE RESPECTIVE PANEL AND EXTENDING FROM THAT SIDE OF THE RESPECTIVE PANEL THAT FACES TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER; MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND PANELS OF EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS COMPRISING A THIRD PANEL FOLDABLY ATTACHED TO AN OPPOSITE EDGE OF ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANELS AND EXTENDING THEREFROM TO THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE OTHER OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PANELS, A FOURTH PANEL FOLDABLY ATTACHED TO THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANELS AND EXTENDING THEREFROM TOWARD THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANELS, SAID THIRD AND FOURTH PANELS BEING DISPOSED PARALLEL AND CLOSELY ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER AND FORMING A TRIANGULARLY SHAPED TUBULAR BODY WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANELS, SAID FOURTH PANEL EXTENDING PAST THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PANELS AND TERMINATING ADJACENT A WALL OF SAID CARTON; A FIFTH PANEL FOLDABLY CONNECTED TO THE EDGE OF THE FOURTH PANEL ALONG JUXTAPOSED EDGES AND FOLDED ALONG SAID EDGES TO A POSITION PARALLEL TO A PLANE BISECTING THE ANGLE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND PANELS, EXTENDING FROM THAT SIDE OF THE FOURTH PANEL THAT FACES THE JUXTAPOSED EDGES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PANELS AND LYING CLOSELY ADJACENT TO SAID WALL OF SAID CARTON. 